Ministry of Grace Church

For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Serve God with diligence and with a humble spirit. Don’t worry about what others say.

Behind the Words

“I know” is translated from the Greek verb suneidō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and eidō, meaning “to know.” Together they mean “to be consciously aware of.” It is expressed in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

The word “nothing” is from oudeis, which is made up of ou, meaning “not” and heis, meaning “one” or “one thing.” So, oudeis literally means “not one thing.”

Dikaioō is the word translated “justified.” It means “to bring out the fact that a person is righteous or without fault.” It is also expressed here in the perfect tense.

The word “judges” is translated from anakrinō, which we saw in yesterday’s verse meaning, “to discern, to decide, or to judge.” It is expressed as a present tense participle, indicating continuous ongoing action. We could paraphrase the end of this verse as “He who is continuously examining me is the Lord.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul boldly proclaimed that it is a very little thing to him if he is judged by the Corinthians or even a court of law (remember, this literally reads “man’s day”). He went on to say that he does not even make judgment against himself. In today’s verse he clarifies this last statement. He says that he is not consciously aware of anything against himself. In classical Greek literature, the expression he used means “I am not conscious regarding myself of any guilt or neglect of duty.” He is not claiming to have reached a state of sinlessness (which some refer to as “complete sanctification”), rather he is saying that regarding his ministry in Corinth, he is not aware of any malpractice or negligence of duty. He did what God called him to do and he did it wholeheartedly for God, not for himself.

He quickly follows this up with, “yet I am not justified by this.” In other words, just because he is not consciously aware of any faults in his ministry, it does not mean that he is claiming himself guiltless. He leaves here the possibility that he may have committed some act of neglect or malpractice in his ministry to the Corinthians. If so, he simply states that he is not aware of such an act.

In a final statement on the subject, Paul proclaims what should be obvious to any Christian: God is the Judge and final authority on all thoughts and actions of all Christians. If Paul had committed any neglect or malpractice while ministering to the Corinthians, he knows that God will judge such actions. That’s why it is such a small concern to him regarding what people in Corinth say.

Application

Each one of us has responsibilities that God has given us in spreading the gospel message and in building up His church. We are to perform such duties in complete subservience to God, not concerning ourselves with what others say about it. If we are doing our part as a totally committed servant, giving Him all the glory, then we needn’t be concerned about what others say. Give all you have and keep your eyes on Him!